By Anas Ahmed 
North Sound, Antigua – August 16, 2025 – Antigua and Barbuda Falcons lifted their home crowd at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium with a dramatic six-wicket victory over the Barbados Royals in the third match of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025. The contest went down to the penultimate delivery, with the Falcons sealing their first win of the season in pulsating fashion.
Royals Let Opportunities Slip
The Royals, two-time CPL champions, had beaten the Falcons in their last two meetings. But poor fielding undid their chances this time. Dropped catches and missed run-out opportunities proved costly, handing the Falcons valuable reprieves during key moments of the chase.
Skipper Imad Wasim chose to field after winning the toss on a damp Antigua evening. His decision was well rewarded as his team knew the exact target to chase while assessing the tricky batting conditions under lights.
Karima Gore Anchors the Chase
The hero of the night was Karima Gore, who followed up his fifty in the previous game with another mature knock. His unbeaten 64 off 53 balls was built on rotation of strike, with 24 singles cleverly interspersed with five boundaries. Gore’s calm presence kept the Falcons steady in a tense chase, eventually guiding them home with two balls to spare.
At the top of the order, Jewel Andrew contributed 28 off 25 balls, dismissed LBW by left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican. Remarkably, it was Warrican’s first CPL wicket in a decade, with Jacques Kallis being his previous scalp back in 2015.
Royals’ Effort Falls Short
Earlier, the Royals posted 150+ thanks to half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and captain Rovman Powell. Both experienced batters looked set to push for a bigger total, but the Falcons’ bowlers held their nerve in the closing overs.
Despite the Royals’ strong platform, Gore’s controlled innings ensured the Falcons chased the target down methodically. His post-match comments reflected his strategy: “Singles are part of aggressive batting. I pride myself on fitness and running hard. On difficult pitches, that’s how you keep going.”
Result and Impact
The win gave the Falcons their first points of CPL 2025 and marked a statement performance at home. For the Royals, it was a missed opportunity, with sloppy fielding undermining the efforts of their top-order batters.
Brief Scores
Barbados Royals – 151/6 in 20 overs
(Quinton de Kock 57 off 45, Rovman Powell 51* off 24; Jayden Seales 2/15, Obed McCoy 2/29)
Antigua & Barbuda Falcons – 152/4 in 19.4 overs
(Karima Gore 64* off 53, Jewel Andrew 28 off 25; Jomel Warrican 1/20, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1/23)
Result – Falcons won by 6 wickets with 2 balls remaining
Player of the Match – Karima Gore (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons)
Zainab Shafiq 
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